Reflecting on Gerhard Richter

Gerhard Richter has long been regarded as one of the greatest artists of our time. Working in a wide range of styles he has created both abstract and realistic paintings, photographs, overpainted photographs and glass sculptures. This film gives us an insight into his works and thinking, as presented by one of Belgium's most innovative galleries for contemporary art.

Curator Martin Germann invites us to contemplate how Richter has responded to both material and social change across the decades. With works ranging from the 1960s to new paintings never previously shown, the 2017/2018 About Painting exhibition at S.M.A.K. offered a window to reflect.

Structured around a spine of glass sculptures, we can see the interplay between figuration and abstraction, illusion and reality as new works echo the themes of old. Germann highlights how an awareness of an artist's process can inform how we view their product. With the additional presence of the viewer reflected in glass and mirrors we see that art might never capture a single reality. From this understanding we can appreciate the true richness of Richter's work.